Budos Band:

Having scalded listeners’ ears with sonic lava on Budos I and stung them with venomous frequencies on Budos II, The Budos Band delivers on their promise to spread the epidemic of “Budos Fever” far and wide with the release of The Budos Band III. The cobra is poised to strike if anyone dares challenge The Budos on their quest.  And, if there was ever any question whether the brotherhood of The Budos is instrumental afro-soul royalty, the Chateau de Budos that graces the back cover of The Budos Band III assures all that the group is strong – unstoppable even – and will use all of nature’s power to ascend to their rightful throne.

“Heading into the studio for Budos III, I really thought we were going to make the first psychedelic, doom-rock record ever recorded at Daptone,” recounts longtime Budos de facto frontman and baritone saxophonist, Jared Tankel, “but somehow it ended up sounding like a Budos record.”  Recorded at the now infamous Daptone “House of Soul Studios” by the world-renowned production team of Bosco Mann and TNT, Budos III was tracked to analog tape and recorded live over the course of an intensely productive 48 hour period, much like its predecessors.  The songs that emerged are unmistakably the type of tough sonic nuggets that have long earned The Budos Band the title, “the quintessence of Staten Island soul.” Replete with tight rhythms, blistering breakbeats, blaring horns and, yes, perhaps even a tinge of psychedelic doom-rock, Budos III promises to bring some added heat upon its release this summer from Daptone Records.

Composed, arranged and honed during weekly, beer-fueled Staten Island writing sessions – as well as more than 150 live gigs over the last two years – the band’s third full-length studio effort evinces the tight-knit and creative bond The Budos have come to share since the ten-piece ensemble’s inception in 2003. “The Budos have become more of a brotherhood,” explains bassist Dan Foder. “Egos suck, that’s why bands don’t last more than two records. Musically, we understand each other better now than when we were younger. That’s why this is our best record. We’re all on point – our playing and creativity are at a higher level - and we understand what The Budos Band means to all of us: family and friendship.”

The strength of the group’s bond and its music has allowed The Budos Band to accomplish feats rarely attained by instrumental groups.  With collective sales of over 30,000 albums and tours that have spanned the US, Canada, and Europe, playing rock clubs and large festival stages, The Budos have developed a rabid fan base that spans genres and ages.  At any given Budos show, one might see b-boys break dancing to the band’s funk and hip-hop beats; record junkies nodding their heads to the soul-infused melodies; metal heads thrashing to the dark and ominous guitar and bass riffs; and general music lovers who eagerly attend Budos shows and smile approvingly at the melting pot of music that takes place.  Simply put, The Budos kill the live show and with each record, their ability to put the energy, sweat, and passion of the live experience to wax increases.

The sound of The Budos may be challenging for some to describe, but to the band, “Staten Island instrumental afro-soul” means internalizing such seemingly disparate influences as the Cairo Jazz Band, J.C. Davis, Mulatu Astatke, and Black Sabbath and coming together to form a mind-bending combination of rhythm and melody.  The unique and signature sound of The Budos has become a favorite for music supervisors to use in TV, film and video games, as well as producers who have sampled The Budos on numerous hip-hop tracks.

The live shows, the long hot nights in the rehearsal studio, the diverse listening diets of the members – all of it – comes together to make The Budos Band III the most vicious Budos release yet.  “We wrote a lot of this album together,” says trumpeter Andrew Greene, whose tune, “Black Venom” was named after two of his favorite bands—Black Sabbath and Venom. “There was a lot more collaboration as people would come regularly with ideas, even the percussion guys.  We all had a say. Unlike our earlier albums, we weren’t trying to be Ethio-, or funk, or soul, we were just trying to be The Budos.” Guitarist Thomas Brenneck—who breathes psychedelic fire into “Reppirt Yad,” the album’s lone cover song—agrees. “We weren’t looking to explicit outside influences for inspiration as we were on previous records. For this album, we were looking more within The Budos.” And to help distill that unique Budos inner-essence, it didn’t hurt to have the ever-present ear of Daptone’s world-renowned Bosco Mann tweaking knobs and manipulating faders behind the engineer’s console. “With Bosco in the studio, doing what he does, the sky isn’t the limit,” says Tankel, “there simply is no sky.”

Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaries:

It’s taken just two short years for Dunham Records – an imprint of Daptone Records – to establish itself as one of the most captivating creative forces in soul music.  The brainchild of guitarist/producer Thomas “Tommy TNT” Brenneck, Dunham’s indelibly atmospheric sound is epitomized by its flagship artist, Menahan Street Band, whose 2008 instrumental single “Make the Road by Walking” (from the acclaimed debut album of the same name) was famously sampled by Jay-Z for the smash single “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is).”  Now Dunham Records prepares to enter the next phase of its evolution with the debut album of its inaugural vocalist.  A testament to the power of perseverance, Charles Bradley’s No Time For Dreaming is poised to drop at the top of 2011.

For Bradley the album is the culmination of a lifetime of paying dues, having nomadically labored for decades at various day jobs from Maine to Alaska – singing and performing in his spare time – before re-settling in his hometown Brooklyn and eventually finding a musical home at Dunham.  In his distinctively rough-hewn timbre one hears the unmistakable voice of experience – each note and gruff inflection a reflection of his extended, sometimes rocky, personal path.  It’s only fitting that No Time For Dreaming’s producer Brenneck (who, in addition to being Menahan Street Band-leader, is a member of The Dap-Kings and The Budos Band) would recognize in Bradley a kindred musical spirit – a singer whose performances exude both raw power and poignant beauty.

The Menahan Street Band (an all-star assemblage of musicians from the Dap-Kings, The Budos Band, Antibalas, El Michels Affair, and Lee Fields and the Expressions) backs Bradley through the entirety of Dreaming with unerring attention to detail.  The robust “The Golden Rule” – which rides a brilliant, ringing organ-fueled groove – finds Bradley lamenting society’s misplaced priorities in lieu of love and brotherhood.  “I Believe In Your Love” has him achingly testifying over insistent, Stax-reminiscent horn swells memorably accented by a reverb-soaked xylophone.  The moving, autobiographical “Why Is It So Hard” chronicles Bradley’s personal struggles with swaying, gospel-like fervor.

Dreaming is permeated by a sense of urgency: Bradley rips through the searing title track with a lyric espousing self-empowerment over complacency and pours his everything into the slow burner “How Long” which resonates with personal meaning for the soul journeyman.  The personal and topical continually intertwine throughout Dreaming, particularly on Bradley’s stunning signature tune, “The World (Is Going Up In Flames).”  An entirely apropos theme for our anxious times, the album’s impassioned lead track and single, finds Bradley wondering aloud what the world around him is coming to as the Menahan Street Band provides solace with its irresistibly bouncy, break-laden two-step groove.  (Something savvy hip-hop producers will undoubtedly take notice of.)

This is the undeniable milieu of No Time For Dreaming – a confluence of commanding performances, precise arrangements, and songs so fundamentally sound you could forge steel on their staffs.  Recorded at Dunham Studios, and mixed at Daptone Records’ internationally revered “House of Soul” Studios, No Time For Dreaming is the inspired sound of an awakening.

World, meet Charles Bradley.  He already knows you quite well.